Bronte sisters brother

However, later works, such as unfinished sketches and disjointed writings, reflect a mind clouded by intoxication. She sent some of her poems to the famous poet Robert Southey, but he replied that literature, especially poetry, was not a suitable occupation for ladies.

However, Charlotte didn't give up. Charlotte's Jane Eyre was the first to become popular.

‘I know only,’ Branwell wrote in 1847, the year before he died, ‘that it is time for me to be something when I am nothing.’ There was, recorded Charlotte, an ‘emptiness’ to his ‘whole existence’.

By 1847 Branwell was living on borrowed time. Modern readers can also draw parallels to contemporary pressures on men to conform to rigid success metrics.

Their abstemious lifestyle, devoid of the vices that plagued Branwell, allowed them to focus on their literary ambitions. Anne took her place and stayed until Christmas 1837.

Charlotte kept busy by following the imaginary world of Angria, which she and Branwell had invented. People have different ideas why he changed it. His profession as a tutor and artist required stability and focus, yet he was frequently dismissed from positions due to *"unexplained absences"* and *"unprofessional conduct."* A former employer, the Robinson family, noted in a letter that Branwell was *"often found in a state unfit for duty,"* a euphemism that strongly suggests intoxication.

Persuasive evidence also lies in the physical and emotional toll described in Branwell's later letters.

His failed relationships, unfulfilled artistic ambitions, and financial instability drove him deeper into addiction. She would act out scenes from her "little books" with Anne.

After she first turned him down, Nicholls left his job for several months. As a well-read man, he knew classical Greek and might have chosen the name from the Greek word for "thunder" (βροντή). Emily Brontë reportedly referred to her brother as *"a burden,"* while Charlotte’s letters to friends describe his *"unreliable nature"* and *"frequent absences."*

To understand the severity of Branwell's condition, consider the historical context.

This is unlikely. This escalation mirrors modern addiction patterns, where stress, isolation, and lack of accountability contribute to dependency. He returned home to The Parsonage in Haworth, a broken man, sinking into a deep depression and immersing himself in self-pity, alcohol and opium.

This terrifying journey of self-destruction was expertly, if not rather chillingly, charted in Sally Wainwright’s brilliant biopic, To Walk Invisible, which was shown on BBC One over Christmas, as we watched Branwell (played by Adam Nagaitis) wrestle his demons to the dismay of those around him.

While some argue that his substance abuse was a coping mechanism for his artistic frustrations and the pressures of living in the Brontë household, others view it as a tragic self-destruction fueled by his inability to match his sisters’ achievements. Hundreds, then thousands, of visitors came from all over Britain and even from other countries.

He was groomed to be the Brontë family’s ticket to financial stability, a role that demanded academic and professional success in a society where men were judged by their ability to provide. Charlotte was happy there and studied well. However, he also had an erratic and emotional nature that stopped him making the most of his talents. Most people lived by farming the poor land of the moors and earned extra money by spinning and weaving wool at home.